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Japanese editorial excerpts -3-+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TOKYO, Jan. 20_(Kyodo) _ Selected editorial excerpts from the Japanese press: DISPATCHED WORKERS (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published Jan. 19) European Union members are required to create national legislation obliging employers to provide equal treatment to workers dispatched by temporary staff agencies and permanent workers to prevent discrimination in basic working conditions, such as wages and holidays. After more than six years of debate, the EU officially passed the Temporary Agency Workers directive last autumn. In contrast to the realities in Japan, the EU measure sounds like something from another world. Understandably, the directive did not go so far as to require employers to let dispatched workers join corporate pension programs or employee stock ownership plans. However, the directive clearly stipulates that each member nation should ensure equal treatment if dispatched workers are engaged in work equal or similar to that of permanent workers. Equal treatment also applies to child-care leave, the use of the staff cafeterias and in-house job training. Basically, dispatched workers are eligible for this equal treatment from the day they start working. But the directive does allow member nations to set a grace period through negotiations between management and labor. The number of dispatched workers grew sharply in Britain, Germany and other European countries in the 1990s, topping 3 million. However, their working conditions, including treatments and rights, are vastly different from those in Japan. In Japan, many dispatched workers are forced to accept wages much lower than those of regular employees. The global financial crisis is increasing unemployment in Europe as well, but unlike in Japan, dispatched workers are not the only ones made to bear the brunt of the crisis. The social safety net for jobless people is also vastly different. In many European countries, dispatched workers are also eligible for unemployment benefits. Those nations have enhanced job training to help unemployed people find new jobs. In contrast, Japan has just bulldozed deregulation without implementing sufficient safety net measures. We must not overlook the fact that the EU is implementing the equal treatment policy as part of a strategy to enhance its international competitiveness. By securing diversified types of employees, such as part-time workers and dispatch workers, the EU is trying to increase its work force as much as possible and to improve skills. In Japan, debate is heating up over whether to ban the use of dispatch workers in the manufacturing industry. However, the long-term goal should be to realize equal treatment. We should strive for deeper debate while keeping in mind how Europe is dealing with its situation. (Jan. 20) Copyright ? 2009 Kyodo News International, Inc. |